Locking and releasing mechanism for doors



April 3, 1956 HU L LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR DOQRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1952 .d W/d 5 W 2 3 M w w w m 6 5 6 B M fl 7 I W L w I rm:

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 G. HUGLE 2,740,285

LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Filed June 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a? as ATTORNEY LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Gebhard Hugle, Pfullendorf, Baden, Germany, assignor to Mrs. Luise E. Sehemmerling, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 7, 1952, Serial No. 292,357

Claims. (Cl. 70-446) My invention relates to improvements in doors to all kinds of rooms, where the door is equipped with an automatic opening device in which use is made of controlling means remote from said door.

It is an object of the invention, that by transmitting means connection is attained between the door locking elements and a pushor pull-element which latter can be bolted by a usual lock, or there may be arranged a connection of the door bars with a shift member of an energy-delivering device. In both cases it is rendered feasible to open the door after unbolting the pushor pullelement and with the succeeding movement of the latter this is possible by muscular exertion, but the door may also be unbolted and opened by the action of the energydelivering device while the pushor pull-element remains in its bolted condition.

Another object of the invention consists in that for the purpose of locking the door spring influenced bars or trigger hooks are used to which operating wires or ropes are attached having connection with the bolting bar of the door lock. At the operating wires a rod takes hold which with its other end is connected to a pushor pull-member of the energy delivering device.

A further object of the invention consists inthat the energy delivering device constitutes an electro-magnet the action of which may be induced by actuating an electrical contact governed manually or by mechanical means. The electrical contact may also be governed by wireless acting means, for instance by using a photo-cell.

The door may be of the usual kind with wings or it can be a sliding door or a tiltable door. The invention provides special braking means for damping the movement of the door. Advantageously a brake cylinder with a piston may be used whereby the braking etfect can be governed by special controlling means. The braking action may preferably be attained by the compression of air. By making, the outlet opening for the compressed air variable the damping action may be controlled.

In connection with a door or gate furnished with two wings, or only one wing, members may be provided for limiting the openingrnovement of the wings. Said members are self locking. They may consist in levers, advantageously toggle levers, one part of which is pivoted to the door wing while the other part hasits pivot connected to the building it belongs to. When the door is opened the toggle-lever has reached its stretched position adapted to secure the door wings against the action of sidewinds or the like.

Further objects of the invention will be mentioned in the following specification and shown. in the drawings.

The drawings show examples of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an inside view of a closed garage door, for instance of a tiltable door.

Fig. 2 shows a part of a section on line 11-11 (of Fig. 1) through the upper portion of the door.

Fig. 3 shows a door-bar, illustrating an example.

Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the shock absorber.

Patent Fig. 5 shows a two-wing door seen from the interior of the room behind the door.

Fig. 6 is a' view of the two door wings from above.

Fig. 7 shows a detail, namely a hinge of a door wing in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 8 shows details partly from Fig. 5, but on a larger scale, in plan view.

Fig. 9 is an elevation, belonging to Fig. 8, seen in the direction of arrow VIII.

In Figs. 1 to 4 the body of the door is designated by the numeral 1. It is. an example of a tiltabledoor providedwith curved stay members 2 with which the door can roll along guide ways 3 performing the tilting movement, for instance into the position shown in Fig. 4, the door being in opened position. It is not intended to open the door with the help of a servomotor, but this will be done by muscular exertion assisted by means of balancing weights 4 whereby the operation is considerably facilitated. With such a door construction according to the invention it is possible to make use of remote controlling means, for which purpose the invention provides an energy delivering device by which the door can be unbolted and immediately receives a thrust which is pow' erful enough to bring the door in its open position. The energy delivering device is constituted by an electromagnet 5, which may be very suitable. For example the electro-magnet may be attached above the door on a cantilever 6 and to its armature 7 a bell crank lever 8 is linked; The bell crank lever 8 is pivoted on a bolt 9. The lower arm of the bell crank lever 8 touches, by means of a roller 10, the arm of another bell crank lever 12, the other arm of which has connection with a shifting rod 13. This rod 13 connects to a rigid connection piece 14 being fastened to two wires or ropes 15. These wires or ropes have connection to member 18 projecting out of the door lock 17'. The other ends of the Wires 15 are fixed to the door locking hooks 19; The wires lead over rollers 16. The member 18 of the door lock 17 may be displaced by means of a usual handle 20 and for bolting both parts 18 and 20 a special lock 21 is provided which is operable by a key so that the door can not be opened before the door lock is manually unbolted. But it is possible, even when lock 17, 21 is in bolted condition, to open the door from a remote spot or place, for instance by operating a contact 22 so that the electro-magnetS will move'its armature; consequently the door locking hooks 19 are loosened, which is performed by means of levers 8- and 12, rod 13, connecting piece 14 and wires 15. Each door locking hook is pivoted on a doglatch 25 by means of bolts 26, whereby-a spring-27, f. i. a torsion spring-holds the door locking hook in locking position. The spring 27 abuts against an edge of the dog latch 25. The contact may be of any kind. It may consist in a push button or there may be arranged a photocell which may close the contact. Another arrangement may use a silI-contact which may be operated by an overrunning car; Such'a sill-contact can be made adjustable so as it may conform to heavycars or to lighter cars.

In the circuit of the electro-magnet 5 an interrupter of known construction is inserted which limits the function of the magnet only for a relatively short impulse. If it is wanted to soften downthe door movementtat .the

I state nearly before full open position, a brake cylinder 30-With piston may be used, preferably for use with air. Together with, such an arrangement regulating means may be provided, for instance by use of a .set screw having a conical, end which penetrates into the air escaping orifice in the bottom of the air cylinder. The end'of the piston rod 31 has a springloaded' 173.111.32 which bears against the door wing, With this arranges ment, the co-operation. of, the. damping, device. together with the door will operate always in a correct manner.

Figs. 5 to 9 relate to an example of a two-wing door. The wings 35, 36 rest on hinges 37 to which torsion springs 38 (see Fig. 7) are attached, acting in an opening sense. There may be provided also devices which allow regulation of the spring force. For the purpose of fixing the wings 35, 36 in the closed position use is made of locking hooks 39 which may for instance be constructed similar to hooks 19 shown in Fig. 3. These hooks 39 have connection with a block 42 by means of wires 40 leading over rollers 41, whereby the block 42 is slideably guided on one of the door wings and can be moved by a bell crank lever 43 which has its pivot at 44 on the door wing. An arm of the lever 43 has connection with rod 54 which reaches. to a group of levers like such as shown in Fig. 2, being in conjunction with the electro-magnet 45. The operation of the arrangement is such that when the electro-magnet is supplied with current, its armature will lift rod 54 and swing lever 43 so that books 39 are withdrawn and consequently the door-wings will be moved outwardly by the force of springs 38. In order to transmit immediately the opening impulse from one to the other door wing, door wing 35 is provided with projections 46 which may act against door Wing 36. The block 4-2 is fixed to one end of a pull member 48 leading over a roller 49 to slideable part 51 of a door-lock 50. This part 51 can be moved by means of a usual door handle 52. Both parts 50 and 52 are boltable by a lock 53 which is built to be used by means of a key.

If it is desired to open the door, the door hooks may be withdrawn by unbolting lock 50, 53 by means of the usual key and the following operation of the door handle. Or the other way is such that without preliminary unbolting the lock 50, 53 the intended opening may be accomplished by operation from a remote spot i. e.-by means of the electro-rnagnet, adapted to unbolt and open the door.

Each door wing is linked to the door frame by means of toggle-levers or other suitable arrangements whereby at the one hand the opening movement of the door wings is limited and on the other hand the door wings may be secured when fully opened. There are attached to each wing two toggle lever arrangements, consisting in a bolt 55 with two link members 56, 57. The member 56 has its pivot at the wall of the building or its door frame, while the other member 57 has its pivot on the door wing. The hubs forming the toggle pivot of both link members are co-operating coupling halves. One half shows a rounded projection 60 and the other half is provided with a corresponding cavity 61. But the projection 60 and cavity 61 are located oppositely to each other in such a manner that they are crosswise directed if the link members 56, 57 remain in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8. But when the door is completely opened, the toggle levers have reached the stretched-position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8. In this position the projection 60 stands in the same direction as the cavity 61 so that by the force of spring 62 a firm interlocking of the two hubs of the links 56 and 57 takes place so that the door wings are secured against unwanted movement. Now the door wings can not be moved by side windpressure, nevertheless the door can be shut at will against the force of springs 62.

I claim:

1. A door locking mechanism which comprises the combination of locking hooks, spring members for holding the locking hooks closed to secure the door, a handle rotatively mounted in the surface of the door, a door lock associated with said handle adapted to lock the handle in a set position, an electromagnet having a core slidably mounted therein, means connected with said locking hooks adapted to overcome the tension of said spring members to open the locking hooks and release the door and separate connecting members between said means and the said handle and between said means and the core of the electromagnet, said connecting members being adapted to actuate said means for opening the locking hooks independently of each other so that the books may be opened when the handle is turned and independently thereof opened when the electromagnet is energized to retract the core and remote control means for energizing the electromagnet whereby the door may be manually opened by turning the handle or opened with the remote control means when the handle is locked against normal operation by the said door lock.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1 in which the connecting member for the core of the electromagnet includes a bell crank lever positioned on the door and .a second bell crank lever positioned on the door jamb, said bell crank levers being adapted to cooperate with each other to utilize a portion of the energy of the sliding core of the electromagnet for delivering a thrust against the door to open it automatically when the magnet is energized to release the locking hooks.

3. A door locking and releasing mechanism which comprises the combination of locking hooks, spring means for holding the locking hooks closed to secure the door, an electromagnet having a core slidably mounted therein, remote control means for energizing the electromagnet to slide the core, means for connecting said core of the electromagnet to the locking hooks, said means being adapted to counteract the tension of said spring means to open the locking hooks and release the door when the core is made to slide in the electromagnet, remote control means for energizing the electromagnet and move its core and said means for connecting the electromagnet core to the locking hooks having a pair of hellcrank levers included therein which are adapted to cooperate with each other and utilize a portion of the energy of the sliding core of the magnet for delivering a thrust against the door to open it automatically when the magnet is energized by the remote control means.

4. A locking and releasing mechanism for a garage door of the type which swings overhead as it opens which comprises the combination of locking hooks, spring members for holding the locking hooks closed to secure the door, a handle rotatively mounted in the surface of the door, a door lock associated with said handle adapted to lock the handle in a set position, an electromagnet having a core slidably mounted therein, means connected with said locking hooks adapted to overcome the tension of said spring members to open the locking hooks and release the door, a connecting member between such means and the said handle, a second separate connecting member including a pair of bell-crank levers between such means and the core of said electromagnet, said connecting members being adapted to operate independently of each other so that the locking hooks may be opened when the handle is turned and independently thereof opened when the electromagnet is energized to retract the core, remote control means for energizing the electromagnet and said bell crank levers being so positioned that they cooperate with each other to deliver a thrust against the door to open it automatically when the electromagnet is energized by the remote control means, whereby the door may be opened manually or'by the remote control means. g

5. A locking and releasing mechanism for a garage door of the type having two half doors which swing automatically away from each other to open, which comprises the combination of locking hooks, spring members for holding the locking hooks closed to secure one otthe half doors, a handle rotatively mounted in the surface of said half door, a door lock associated with said handle adapted to lock the handle in a set position, an electromagnet having a core slidably mounted therein, means connected with said locking hooks adapted to overcome the tension of said spring members to open the locking hooks and release the said half-door and separate connecting members between said means and the said handle and between said means and the core of the said electromagnet, said connecting members being adapted to actuate said means for opening the locking hooks independently of each other so that the hooks may be opened when the handle is turned and independently thereof opened when the electromagnet is energized to retract the core, remote control means for energizing the electromagnet, means associated with said half door for securing the second half door in closed position whereby the doors may be manually opened by turning the handle to release the locking hooks or opened with the remote control means when the handle is held in a set position and locked against manual operation by the door lock.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 762,770 Stewart June 14, 1904 1,830,786 Ferris Nov. 10, 1931 2,008,150 Nelson July 16, 1935 2,246,103 Micek June 17, 1941 2,512,804 McDonald June 27, 1950 

